


She's Not a Black Widow

by brattymac



Category: Hannibal - Fandom, hannigram - Fandom, team sassy science - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-18 00:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5890429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brattymac/pseuds/brattymac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world dominated by Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, it's easy to get away with murder. One simply has to know how to stay under the radar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Apéritif

“Hendricks!” the voice bellowed from Jack Crawford’s office. A lab tech jumped and scurried faster away from the door. Liv shook her head and tried not to laugh. After composing herself most of the way, she entered Crawford’s office. 

 

“That has to be a record, sir,” she said as her mouth tried to twitch into a smile. “I mean, it’s not even technically my first day and you’re already yelling at me.” She smiled fully then, watching Crawford’s eyes move to the ceiling as if asking for the strength to not kill her. He sighed and looked at her, standing up and coming around the desk. 

 

“You’re going to fit in around here perfectly. But your first day starts now. Follow me.” He walked out of the office and headed for the labs, Liv in tow. “There’s not much time for introductions. Another girl was just reported missing. I need to go recruit someone to consult on the case.”

 

“It’s fine, Jack,” Liv said as they stopped outside the lab. “I’m sure the team can fill me in as needed. You’re not human resources, you’re needed elsewhere, and as much as it may be my first day here, it’s not my first day on the job. Go.”

 

Jack smiled apologetically and left. Liv took a deep breath and walked through the glass doors into the lab, coming up short when she realized the voices were talking about her. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted Beverly Katz.

 

_ Tell them Jack had to go and took me with him. I’m in earshot. :) _

 

Bev had been the first person Liv had told that she was getting transferred in from the Denver field office. And it had been Bev’s idea to not let on that she knew the new transfer. She was sick of being the only woman in the lab and wanted to have some fun. After hitting send, she waited a moment and was delighted when she heard Bev say “That was Jack. He had to go, took the new transfer with him. So you can stop acting so paranoid that you’re going to be overheard. What are your thoughts on having a new person around here, Brian?”

 

“Wouldn’t it be smart to reserve judgment until I see if she’s good at the job?” a male voice asked. Liv heard another male voice, one she was familiar with, pipe up, “No, you mean until you see if she’s hot!” Liv’s stifled giggle was covered by Bev and Jimmy Price laughing, Brian Zeller protesting. His words were cut short as he rounded the corner and saw her standing there, his jaw dropping momentarily before he recovered. 

 

“Hi. Are you Brian?” Liv asked, smiling up at him. He was cute, in a very take-home-to-mom kind of way. He was spared from answering as Jimmy Price’s voice floated to them. “Is that my dollface? Come here, beautiful! Daddy needs a hug!” 

 

Liv giggled at the stupefied look on Brian’s face and moved past him to go hug Jimmy. “Hello darling!” she said fondly as she wrapped her arms around his ribs. “I’ve missed you so much! I brought you a case of that wine you liked so much.” In a much lower voice she said, “Jimmy, you didn’t tell me he was so cute! Bev didn’t tell me, either! Have neither of you noticed?” She felt Jimmy laugh as she let go of him. “Oh trust me, I noticed. I just can’t have it going to his head. Thank you for the wine, though. You’re an angel. Now go hug your bestie before she cries.”

 

Liv found herself laughing for the millionth time since walking into the lab as she hugged Beverly, listening to Jimmy explain how he knew her. Jimmy had been called to give expert testimony in a trial in Denver, and the field office had asked if she’d be interested in housing him instead of making him stay in a hotel. She’d jumped at the opportunity and they’d become fast friends. Bev called Brian over. 

 

“Z, this is Olivia “call me Liv” Hendricks. We were roommates when we were in the academy. She’s one of the best. And she can kick your ass. You might like it,” Bev smirked, making Brian and Liv both blush. To change the subject, Liv spoke up. “So um, Jack couldn’t come in because he’s gone to recruit someone to help out with a case you guys are on? He said another girl was reported missing. Is this the serial abductor in Minnesota?”

 

“Holy shit, it is,” Bev said, knowing that meant they’d all be headed to the airport in the coming days if Jack found anything to warrant it. Bev checked her watch and pulled the goggles from on top of her head. “Guys, it’s close to quitting time. What do you say we hit up the bar and bring Liv up to date on the case?”

 

**

 

They’d spent the next few hours joking, eating, drinking beers. The team had quickly brought Liv up to date on the case. There hadn’t been much to share, since no bodies had been found yet. The mood had easily shifted to stories of fun times had by all on various cases. Liv kept finding herself watching Brian Zeller with rapt attention, emerald eyes following the animated motions and broad gestures of his arms as he told stories, a slender brown glass bottle in his hand. She loved his smile, even more the adorable way he scrunched his face when he was being sarcastic. 

 

She caught herself wondering what kind of kisser he was, and that snapped her out of it. It was a passing fancy, nothing more. It would fade. They always did. But she realized, with an unsettling feeling, that she resented not giving in. Aside from the obvious problems that could arise from dating a coworker, she had many valid reasons for not letting herself become close. And watching Brian laugh at something Beverly had said, she felt wistful. Thankfully Bev’s phone went off and Liv was roused from her unwanted emotions. 

 

“That’s the office. Jack wants us on the plane in an hour. They… they found a body,” Bev said, reading the text again with confusion on her face. “There’s never a body… Anyway, Jack is asking for the three of us. Liv, do you want to come with or…?”

 

“Nah, I’ll head to the lab and acquaint myself with where everything is. Then you can send me things as you get them and I can start processing. We won’t have to call anyone else in that way,” Liv smiled, her full lips still tingling from phantom kisses she’d never feel. She stood up, kissing Jimmy’s cheek, hugging Bev, then somewhat awkwardly smiling at Brian. She didn’t know him well enough to bid farewell in any physical way, wasn’t willing to admit she wanted to know what his tall frame would feel like if he wrapped his arms around her. And she was perfectly willing to blame the one pint of cider she’d had for all of those thoughts that were turning her cheeks pink. 

 

After they dropped her at the lab, she walked around for some time. Gloved fingers trailed across metal tables as she wondered if this would feel more like home than Denver had. She didn’t want things to be the same. Didn’t want to admit she’d enjoyed what had happened. 

 

**

 

Liv had been intrigued by the specialist Jack Crawford had brought back with him. She was a people watcher, and sensed Will Graham was as well, though he was always careful to never make eye contact. She’d heard whisperings that he was on the autism spectrum, but her gut said that wasn’t entirely accurate. He trembled in a way that seemed more excitement than discomfort. Like a puppy, almost. She was familiar with that sensation. She filed him away in her mind as someone to learn more about, and went back to the computer. 

 

**

 

They were all shocked when the next girl was found. Liv had been called out to the field that time, helping to chase the local force off the crime scene. It was a specialty of hers. She was petite, curves where they counted, with long thick red hair and full lips. Her lashes and brows were darker than the rest of her hair, and formed a striking frame around clear emerald eyes. She knew how to charm the local boys, how to make them feel like they were in control. How to make them feel like it was their own idea to back off and let the analysts work. She thought she caught Zeller watching her at one point, but attributed that to a hopeful imagination. 

 

Internally, she’d been seething. She knew it was common to handle the day to day atrocities law enforcement saw with humor, but the poor girl was displayed in the nude, mounted on a stag’s head. It was disrespectful, and to Liv’s mind was somewhat akin to rape. That the locals were making jokes while in the presence of the deceased… Liv had needed several deep breaths before she’d been able to turn on the charm.

 

One of the few things that soothed her was the way she’d heard Will Graham describe the person who’d killed the girl and left her on display. “Petulant.” 

 

**

 

When the news came that Graham had shot the killer, that with the help of the new profiler they’d saved a girl’s life, all anyone was asking was “Who is Will Graham? How did he do it? How did he know?”

Liv had been the only one satisfied by the answer. “He can think like them.”

 

**

 

_ It had been a long trial. Enough physical evidence to put the defendant away for life and then some. But the prosecution had made a fatal mistake, resulting in a verdict of not guilty. The victim had crumpled, having to be removed from the courtroom because she was unable to keep her cries, almost screams really, inside. The newly exonerated rapist had turned to her with a smug, menacing grin. Something had snapped inside Olivia Hendricks.  _

 

_ The planning had been easy, but methodical. She’d wanted to make an example of him, wanted to make it artistic.  _

 

_ Synthetic neurotoxins were surprisingly easy to come by, though it had taken some time to find one she wanted. She’d dated an entomologist once upon a time, had been taught the beauty and grace of spiders. Not many could put a grown man in the hospital, let alone kill him. Research had been done the old fashioned way, with reference books in the library. No traceable internet searches, very little evidence of her research left at all.  _

 

_ The seduction had been even easier. And when her nails had raked down his back, the needles placed between real nails and press-ons had injected him with a fatal overdose. Like a thousand bites from a Sydney funnel web spider, Atrax robustus. The coma had seized him quickly, and she’d used her skills as a crime scene analyst to remove all physical evidence from his body, save for the venom coursing through his veins. And then she’d simply left him there in the motel room, where he’d paid cash and there were no cameras.  _

 

_ The Denver office had been abuzz with the bizarre attack, especially once it was learned that death was inevitable for the man. The neurotoxin had damaged his brain irreparably. They’d taken him off life-support in less than a week.  _


	2. Amuse-Bouce

Liv had forced herself to get through the statements the boys had made without laughing. Three boys had found several shallow graves covered in fungi, and had somehow thought it was marijuana. It was either a testament to the innocence of the boys, or to the efficacy of anti-drug campaigns. She always got a kick out of the commercials and posters. She never could figure out how they thought people were injecting marijuana. Living in Denver, it had been even more laughable. She’d seen firsthand the benefits of thc and cbd on people. Finished with the statements, Liv set them aside and got to work processing the fungi and soils for analysis, all the while trying to wrap her head around why someone would bury people alive and grow mushrooms on them. 

 

Her mood was decidedly strange on the case. She was able to focus, able to process everything she needed to, but kept finding things humorous. She loved the irritation she was seeing in the team every time Graham made a leap they couldn’t understand, even more when the lab results would catch up and prove him right. The annoyance seemed strongest in Zeller, and she almost felt bad for him. He was a tech geek. He liked logic, and Graham didn’t seem to be using any. 

 

Liv went with the small group Jack Crawford put together to raid Freddie Lounds’ room in case she was needed to process any evidence with Brian Zeller. They knew Freddie Lounds had been to more than one of their crime scenes; and now a suspect had gotten away because of an article published on tattlecrime.net. Liv listened from outside the room, inwardly approving of Crawford’s tactics in pushing the tabloid reporter. She stood aside as Crawford and the rest of the team moved back out. And then a barely overheard utterance from Zeller plummeted her mood. 

 

“You used me.” The handcuffs went click and Liv gritted her teeth. There went that idea. Clearly Zeller was attracted to trash. It was too new an infatuation to hurt. She ignored the sting of it and left him with Lounds. She didn’t want to hear anything else. But she knew how the journalist had been getting so much insider information, and that disgusted her. She was disgusted with herself for being attracted to a man who clearly couldn’t keep his mouth shut. It was a particularly sore subject for her after a tryst in school had been spread far and wide. All she’d managed to do was spread her own equally honest version of the story - that he hadn’t been worth it and likely never would be. He had been neither a “shower” nor a “grower.” 

 

Liv stumbled down a step before catching herself, but the wrought iron railing of the stairs creaked loudly under the jolt. She swore under her breath. Zeller had heard her, and came out of Freddie Lounds’ room to see who was there. “Oh shit, hey…” he said awkwardly. She held a hand up. 

 

“I won’t say a word to anyone, Brian. I misjudged you. This is your freebie. I find out about you leaking information again, I’m going to Crawford,” she said in an icy tone. She hadn’t realized how angry she was. It was so hypocritical. Who was she to judge him for breaking rules when she was what she was? 

 

“I was wrong,” he said softly. 

 

“You’re damn right you were! What the hell were you thinking? You know what? Don’t answer that,” she growled at him. “I don’t want to know what drew you to a woman like her. I don’t want to know what you were thinking. I want to go back to remembering the Brian who bought me a drink and made me laugh after telling me so compassionately about the girls who were taken by the shrike. I don’t want to remember this,” she gestured at him, gestured upstairs. “This is just…” she had no words. “I’ll see you at the lab.”

 

“Liv, wait!” he called out as she turned away, reaching for her. 

 

“Keep your hands off me!” she groaned inwardly at her loss of composure. She didn’t know him well enough to be able to justify reacting this strongly. She knew she was angrier that he had touched Freddie Lounds than she was that he had given up information. 

 

**

 

It was late, early, after midnight and before dawn a day and a half later that Liv was calling Brian Zeller and waking him up. “We need to talk. Not in public. My place or yours, I don’t care. We need to talk.”

 

Twenty minutes later she was walking up the flagstone path to Brian Zeller’s house, a converted four car garage with mother in law’s apartment above that was behind a small victorian mansion. He opened the door before she could knock, looking nervous. “Coffee?” he asked as she slipped past him into the dimly lit living room. She nodded and sat on the couch, tucking her feet under her. He handed her a mug filled with steaming hot liquid that smelled of vanilla and was only a few shades darker than her own pale skin. The perfect amount. She looked up at him, surprised. 

 

“It’s not the first time we’ve had coffee together, Liv,” Brian said tiredly. “I pay attention to things. Weird things that don’t normally matter. It’s part of the job, right?” He sat down in a chair near the couch and rubbed his face. “So what’s the cause of the 330am wake up call?”

 

Liv set the mug on the coffee table and turned to look at him, watching his body language. “Eldon Stammets attempted to take Abigail Hobbs from the hospital tonight. He said he was told by Freddie Lounds that Will Graham could understand him. He was trying to draw Graham out by planting Abigail with mycelium so he could connect with her. Graham shot him.” She paused and let that sink in, watching the realization flash across Brian’s face. 

 

“Jesus, Brian. How much did you tell her?”

 

“I’m going to lose my job, Liv. They’re probably going to arrest me. Does that answer your question?” Brian rubbed his face with both hands, and looked up with surprise when she touched his shoulder. 

 

“You’re safe. I won’t tell a soul, I already told you that. And the cop she used, the one that took her into the crime scene, was killed by Stammets. So as far as anyone is concerned, it’s a closed case on the leak. So as long as you forget it ever happened, you have nothing to worry about. And as for Graham… I don’t know what his mental state is, but he didn’t kill Stammets. Just stopped him. You’re not a killer by proxy, either.” Liv bent and kissed the top of Brian’s head, breathing in the smell of drugstore shampoo as his curls tickled her face. He’d needed to know the gravity of the consequences of his actions, but she didn’t want to torture him. 

 

“What about the girl?”

 

“She’s fine. She’s still in a coma, but she wasn’t hurt by Stammets.” Liv stood up and yawned. She hadn’t slept yet and knew she had to be at the lab in a few hours. She went back to the couch, pulled an afghan off the back of it into her lap and smiled at Brian, then sipped her coffee. It was perfect.

 

She was surprised when Brian stood up and held a hand out to her. “Come on,” he said with a tired grin. “I’m gonna show you a secret. I call it… nap central.” He led her to his guest bedroom, which had no bed. Rather, the floor was wall to wall mattresses and pillows and blankets. 

 

Liv blinked and laughed. “Z, you have a… a nest?” She looked at the pillows with longing. 

 

“Technically it’s my gaming room. That painting on the wall is actually a big tv that flips up. The consoles are hidden in the wall, too.” He trailed off, looking at her with sleepy eyes. 

 

“I’m sorry I yelled at you, Z. I overreacted.”

 

“No, you didn’t. I screwed up. And since when do you call me Z?” he grinned in a way she could only describe as adorkable, making her blush and look down at the blanket she’d wrapped around her shoulders. 

 

Pushing the urge to reach up and kiss him aside, she looked up. “It just seems more personal than calling you Brian. I don’t know. I’m tired and I get goofy when I’m tired.” She was surprised when he held his arms out, but she moved closer and wrapped her blanket-clad arms around his ribs, leaning her head on his chest as he hugged her. 

 

“Next time you need to wake me up at 3am, plan on sleeping over,” he said in a tired voice. She blushed and looked up at him. “Why, are you going to seduce me?” They both shook with overtired giggles before he left to crawl into his own bed. Liv was sorely tempted to follow. 


	3. Potage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing but freaking fluff because the show didn't see fit to show anything with team sassy science in Potage. I had to make it up. I'm sorry.

Another body. Liv was going through the strangest haze of emotions buried deep as she helped Brian Zeller process the body of Marissa Schuur, found mounted on a rack of antlers in the Minnesota Shrike’s den. She had been Abigail Hobbs’ best friend. Abigail shouldn’t have had to see her this way. No one should. The poor girl had been left naked, exposed, humiliated in death. Liv was comforted by the fact that Brian Zeller was incredibly professional and gentle with the girl. 

 

Liv was careful not to look at him if she didn’t need to. It didn’t feel right, looking at someone she was drawn to while there was a body between them. She focused instead on scraping Marissa’s nails, searching for tissue that might have DNA evidence so they could catch whoever had killed her in such a brutal manner. The mixture of sediment that was coming from the girl’s nails sent Liv into memories of middle school. 

 

The teacher had been lecturing the entire semester about identifying materials by density, by the color they turned when introduced to flame, by their boiling point and rate of condensation. The final test had been sludge. A mixture of liquids, solids, sediment. They’d had to separate each part and identify it. Her lab partner had snorted a pixie stick and gone to the nurse’s office. Liv had been on her own. She vaguely recalled getting a C. She’d been terrible about taking notes back then. She’d learned her lesson well. 

 

She gathered the paper that had rested under Marissa’s hand and gently bent it in half, tipping the contents into a small specimen jar. She’d take it to be processed, and then it was time for a much needed break. 

 

“What are your thoughts on burgers?” Brian’s voice made Liv jump and she smiled at him once she’d recovered. 

 

“Burgers? I… I’m kind of in love with them. I’m on a quest to find the best burger in the world. Why?” Liv was still slightly breathless from the scare. 

 

Brian smiled that goofy grin of his and Liv’s heart skipped a beat. “Come on.Get me out of my mind and get you out of those clothes. I mean lab coat.” He grinned. 

 

“I never would have pegged you for a Fall Out Boy fan, Z,” Liv laughed. “Now we need to listen to it in the car and sing loudly and horribly. Deal?”

 

“Hell yes!” Brian said, holding a fist out toward her. Liv looked from his fist to his face and snickered, but gave him the fist bump. 

 

“You guys want us to bring anything back?” Liv asked of the rest of the lab in general. The only response she got was from Jimmy Price. “Yeah, a pitcher of margarita and a twisty straw.” Liv blew the older man a kiss and smiled. “Sure thing, darling.”

 

**

 

“Holy shit!” Liv moaned, words muffled by the food in her mouth. She quickly chewed and swallowed, then looked at Brian. “Z, seriously, I love you right now. This is flavorgasmic!” she said before taking another bite, smaller this time, chewing slowly with her eyes closed. She was in heaven. She had no idea Brian was watching her, drink paused halfway to his mouth as he stared at the rapture on her face. She ran a tongue slowly over her lips after she swallowed, eyes slowly opening to seek out her new love. 

 

“I love you,” she smiled at the burger as she brought it to her mouth once again. Her eyes slowly moved up and she saw Brian staring at her, his own food forgotten. “What?” she blushed under his scrutiny. “I told you I love burgers. Do you know how rare it is to find a restaurant that has burgers with actual grill marks on them? And these mushrooms are perfectly sauteed. Thank you so much for bringing me here. It’s perfect.” She smiled at Brian, tempted to reach across the table to kiss him. She busied her face with the burger instead, reminding him that he had his own food to eat. 

 

She stopped chewing when he reached towards her plate, her eyes on his hand as it lifted a mushroom that had fallen from her burger, stealing it back and putting it in his mouth. They’d discussed whether or not she ought to even order mushrooms so soon after the Stammets case. She’d pointed out that if they let every case change how they behaved, they’d have nothing left of themselves. Apparently, he’d agreed. “Well?”

 

He grinned at her. “Perfect.” She looked down, not entirely certain he was talking about the mushroom. Looking back up, his eyes were still on her, and she blushed. “Would you stop making me feel like I got ketchup all over my face? Eat your damn food!” she smiled, throwing a french fry at him. He laughed and got up, circling the table to her side. 

 

“Here,” he smiled, wiping gently at her cheek. She was looking up at him, saw the pristine napkin as he pulled away. There had been no ketchup. 

 

“Z, you need to eat your lunch so we can go back to work,” Liv said with a soft voice, still looking at that wonderful scruffy face of his. She saw how her words wounded him, and she reached up, taking his wrist in her hand. “There won’t be time for anything else before then, and you promised to show me your games.” There. She’d invited herself back to his place. Anything beyond that was entirely up to him. 

 

**

 

Brian Zeller had been practically singing the rest of the work day as they’d worked with various machines in the lab to process what they’d found before lunch. His level of giddy was so bad that Jimmy Price had approached Liv and ducked his head close to hers. “Did you two have  _ sex _ ?!”

 

Liv had laughed, turning bright red. “No, Jimmy. We had burgers. There was definite flirting, but all we had was burgers.”

 

“No, dollface. I’ve seen you have burgers. You don’t just have burgers. You flavorgasmed in front of him, didn’t you?” Jimmy gave her a very judgmental look that made her laugh even harder. “You big slut, you did! No wonder the boy is glowing with post coital bliss! You burgergasmed right in front of him!”

 

“You make it sound so pornographic, Jimmy! Jeez, it was a good burger, that’s all!” She pressed her hands to her cheeks, willing them to stop being so red. 

 

Jimmy raised his eyebrows and looked down at her. “When you do it, it is pornographic. I’m not even into women and I got shifty. Poor Z doesn’t stand a chance. Don’t break his heart, Livvy. I’d hate to have to bitch slap you.”

 

**

 

“Do you really want to play video games?” Brian asked Liv as they were finishing up for the day. He seemed genuinely surprised, and she was glad she’d brought it up. She knew from months earlier when she was still in Denver that Brian played the same mmo that she did. Brian had no idea that she played, though. 

 

“Well yeah, but do you have more than one of each console? Split screen kinda sucks. Not that I’m picky or anything. I’ll own your ass if we play Mortal Kombat,” Liv grinned. She’d been the first kid in her entire elementary school to own the original on Sega Genesis. “I can run home for my ps4 first. I don’t mind.”

 

“Wait, you’ve got ps4? Have you ever played any mmorpg’s? Dude, my favorite game is on there!” Brian’s grin got huge the more excited he got. “I need to show you, omg! Yes, go get your stuff. I have an extra tv but get your ps4 and come over. We can get delivery or something. Oh my god you’re gonna love this!”

 

**

 

An hour later Liv was at Brian’s house and setting up her ps4 with his extra screen and internet. He’d been explaining the class system: Tank, Healer, DPS (damage per second). She’d been listening, hiding smiles, nodding at the appropriate time. And then she scrolled through her games and looked at him. “What world are you on?”

 

Brian looked up at the screen and saw she was already signing in to the game. “Shit, um… My main is on Siren. Why didn’t you say you play?”

 

Liv laughed and signed in to one of her alternate characters that was on Siren. “Because you’re cute when you’re excited. And kinda sexy when you’re explaining things confidently.”

  
She looked down from the screen when the controller was gently tugged from her hands, then up to see him rather close. “Z…” she breathed, eyes closing as his lips brushed over hers. 


End file.
